Fall/Winter

Like your car’s brake system, the steering and suspension systems are key to your car's safety. Together, they largely determine your car’s ride and handling. The Car Care Council recommends having your vehicle’s steering and suspension systems checked regularly, at least once a year and usually with a wheel alignment.

A new, innovative brake pad technology is keeping drivers happy and making the jobs of brake installers easier.

Noise, vibration and brake dust concerns have historically been the greatest causes of customer angst after a brake job. Today, however, advanced ceramic brake pads are alleviating these issues for a growing number of drivers and eliminating frustrating comebacks to repair shops.

Losing a belt today can mean big trouble for the engine because serpentine belts are used on most engines to turn the water pump, alternator, power steering and air-conditioning compressor. If a belt snaps, everything is lost and you may be stranded. Older cars use individual V-belts for these various accessories. A blown hose could result in an overheated engine and can cause additional engine damage.

When it comes to driving safely, it’s easy to take your vehicle’s ability to stop for granted – until you really need it.

According to brake expert Akebono, your brakes often reveal possible serious situations when they make noise, pull, judder – another term for vibrate – or feel soft. Addressing these symptoms promptly enhances your safety and may save time and money in the long run.

An indisputable fact of American life: our enduring love affair with our vehicles, some defining this as our freedom of mobility. Freedom becomes the active word.

Another fact of American life is our shortage of people to repair these 233 million vehicles. The Bureau of Labor Statistics' forecasts that repair shops nationwide face an annual shortage of about 35,000 auto technicians through 2010.

“My customer asked me how much he’d have to spend for a pair of shocks,” said a repair shop owner. “I told him there are ‘good, better and best’ prices, but I install only the good and, preferably, the best. Labor is the same.”

His customer agreed that the minimal cost difference did not justify opting for less than the best. What price is peace of mind? It’s a factor that plays a big part when investing in auto repairs. Once a component is installed you’re likely never to see it unless it fails.

Here are a few tips from professional suspension specialists at NASCAR for the average motorists when dealing with this important but often misunderstood component.

“If there’s a lot of body movement, it’s hard to control the car in turns and it moves a lot when you’re stopping, you’ve got a problem,” says a seasoned NASCAR veteran “You need to replace them right away. You pretty much have what you have, so when they’re used up you need to replace them.”  

There are many quality aftermarket shock absorbers to choose from, when it’s time for replacements.  

In-car cameras have added a new dimension to watching automobile racing on TV. TV cameras, firmly secured at locations around the track, follow drivers’ maneuvering for position and other drama that makes automobile racing the most popular spectator sport. Action in the pits gets its share of air time during NASCAR events, too.

Noises, we’ve all heard them coming from under the hood at one time or another in our cars and trucks. But a NASCAR Engine Specialist’s ears are filled with the roar of engines every weekend. He’s in charge of taking care of the engines and making sure they run smoothly after they get to the racetrack.

An engine failure during a race eliminates any chances of winning. So, as you can imagine, he plays an integral role on the race team.

A NASCAR Car Chief makes his living communicating. It’s his job to make sure all the changes that Crew Chief wants made are finished, and he must be accurate and exact on instructions to various members of the crew at the track.